Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Was Akil Larue Oliver Killed Because He Was Black?

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Was Akil Larue Oliver Killed Because He was Black?


For now, all that is known is that something very ugly happened in a Miami convenience store, and a young black man named Akil Oliver Larue (pictured left) was beaten to death by Arab store owners.

And while the cause of Oliver's death is up for debate, organizers of a vigil held in his memory this weekend suspect that he was killed because he was black.

The store owners, Ragheb Sulaiman, 24, and his younger brother Nabil Sulaiman, 19, are being held by police in the attack. Ragheb Sulaiman is charged with second-degree murder, while Nabil Sulaiman is charged with aggravated battery.

According to police, Oliver got in to a shouting match with store workers and began yelling vulgar racial slurs at a store clerk.

An off-duty police officer escorted Oliver out of the store, but Oliver returned and started in on the owners again. This time, however, Nabil Sulaiman hit Oliver over the head with a bottle and Ragheb Sulaiman continued the attack by hitting Oliver with a crowbar, according to police.

Witnesses said Oliver appeared to be upset, because he believed he was shortchanged 7 cents.

It is tragic that a dispute over 7 cents may have lead to this deadly confrontation, but it seems that both sides in the fight share responsibility.

What was so wrong with Oliver that he would unleash not one but two separate attacks on the store owners over 7 cents? He caused the entire mess by cursing the merchants over something so stupid.

But the Sulaiman brothers had no excuse for escalating a verbal dispute into a fatal physical assault. Unless someone finds that Oliver was arming himself or hit one of the store employees, the Sulaimans are responsible for the death of Oliver and will face justice.

As for Oliver supporters who say he was killed because he was black, that would take mind-reading ability that I can't claim. Maybe the Sulaimans did place a lower value on Oliver's life because of his race, but I haven't seen any evidence of that.

All I know is that two families are grieving right now over a confrontation about 7 cents.

What a waste.




 

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Source: http://www.bvblackspin.com/2010/11/23/was-akil-larue-oliver-killed-because-he-was-black/

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